Hepatitis C Virus p7 is Critical for Capsid Assembly and Envelopment

• DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1003355
• Publication Date: 2013-05-03T05:48:31Z
• Authors: Juliane Gentzsch; Christiane Brohm; Eike Steinmann; Martina Friesland; Nicolas Menzel; Gabrielle Vieyres; Paula Monteiro Perin; Anne Frentzen; Lars Kaderali; Thomas Pietschmann
• Keywords: 0301 basic medicine; QH301-705.5; Virus Assembly; Cell Membrane; Hepacivirus; RC581-607; Hepatitis C; Cell Line; 3. Good health; Viral Proteins; 03 medical and health sciences; Capsid; Humans; RNA, Viral; Immunologic diseases. Allergy; Biology (General); Research Article

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) p7 is a membrane-associated ion channel protein crucial for production. To analyze how contributes to this process, we dissected HCV morphogenesis into sub-steps including recruitment of core lipid droplets (LD), capsid assembly, unloading from LDs and subsequent membrane envelopment capsids. Interestingly, observed accumulation slowly sedimenting capsid-like structures lacking the viral envelope in cells transfected with mutant genomes which possess defect virion Concomitantly, was enriched at surface LDs. This indicates core/capsid rather than defective trafficking cellular organelle. Protease ribonuclease digestion protection assays, rate zonal centrifugation native, two dimensional gel electrophoresis revealed increased amounts high-order, non-enveloped complexes unable protect RNA genomes. These results suggest assembly intermediates that had not yet completely incorporated absence functional p7. Thus, necessary final steps as well envelopment. support model where linked nascent RNA-containing multimers, process coordinated by In summary, provide novel insights sequence events essential functions